THE BEAUTY BIBLE

Essential beauty for you

Your own FREE beauty encyclopaedia online. Immerse yourself in indispensable info from our international bestseller, The Beauty Bible (now out of print, but the wisdom's just as current...) Choose from the seven categories below to discover a whole world of beauty advice.

The right make-up won’t dramatically change the way you look: you should continue to look yourself, only lovelier. (And the psychological boost it gives you isn’t imaginary: Japanese scientists have been able to link a stepping up of the immune system to the application of cosmetics.) But the secret every woman really wants to know is how to apply perfect make-up, every time. Here is the low-down from some of the world’s top professionals. This chapter contains the only make-up advice you’ll ever need…

Eyes cannot lie. About our feelings, about our health - and about our age. And since up to 80 per cent of the information we receive from the world comes to us through our eyes, it is vital not to neglect them. The conventional wisdom is simple: wear specs (or contacts) if you have poor eyesight, don’t sit close to the TV, read under a good light, take off your eye make-up at night - and eat lots of carrots. But there is much more you can do to protect your vision, banish bags and keep the eye area beautiful...

Beauty at any age isn’t just about looking young: it’s about wearing your age happily and healthily. If you don’t work at beauty from the inside-out, even the most expensive skincare isn’t going to make a difference. Taking care to look after your skin is a mark of self-respect, not a sign of vanity. Here’s what you can do to ensure beautiful skin at any age. We tell you everything that’s important: the no-cost beautifiers, lotions, potions, what works and what doesn’t. Here are the right skincare - and lifestyle - choices to get you glowing...

Getting the perfect haircut - Nobody ever died from a bad haircut - but plenty of women have walked out of the salon wishing they had a paper bag to cover the damage. How good (or terrible) you feel about your hair can have a dramatic effect on your morale. When it’s wonderfully cut and shimmering with light, women feel able to conquer anything. When it’s droopy and you can’t do a thing with it, it can throw your whole day. But, with insider information from the hair world’s leading professionals, bad hair days can be history. Here’s how to find the best cut, colour and haircare for you - and your lifestyle...

We don’t believe there’s a woman alive who is 100 per cent happy with her body. (Even supermodels complain endlessly about their flaws.) But what we need is not more impossible diets and exercise regimes you can only follow if you have iron discipline, time to spare and the cash for a personal trainer. Instead, we need a new mind-set for the millennium, a re-think of what is and is not beautiful, plus acceptance of what we can and can’t achieve or change. We think the ‘body beautiful’ should be about much more than working towards a bikini-worthy bottom; it should mean smooth-skinned, fit and glowing with energy...

Sometimes it takes more than sensible eating, exercise, a new hairdo or expertly applied make-up to convince you that you look great – whatever others say. Some people live peacefully with the marks of time: ‘I’m used to my face travelling south’, one 50-something beauty told us. Others feel that improving on the effects of ageing, an accident or simply altering a long-disliked feature will boost their self-confidence. Here is the lowdown on cosmetic surgery and cosmetic dentistry, plus our tips for gentler, non-surgical ways to delay the march of time...

This is the era of the ‘fragrance wardrobe’. While some women are faithful for life to an old favourite, many more are discovering the joy of experimenting with scents that match their mood. But, since perfume is one of the most expensive beauty indulgences, getting it right is essential. Especially since fragrance develops differently on different skin types. Here, we'll help you to find your perfect scent – and make the most of its mood-lifting potential...